Five Things to Watch: Sooners vs. Mountaineers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- No. 23 Oklahoma (38-22) opens play in the 2012 NCAA Charlottesville Regional today against No. 3 seed Appalachian State (39-16) at 1 p.m. CT at Davenport Field. The game will follow the first contest in the regional between host and No. 1 seed Virginia and No. 4 seed Army (10 a.m.).

Below are five things to watch this week as the Sooners make their 35th appearance in the NCAA Championship.

1. NCAA Experience ... Advantage Sooners
The Sooners expect to qualify for the postseason every year and they are making their 35th NCAA appearance (fifth straight) with a 75-67 overall in those tournaments. OU is 23-11 in the opening game of its 34 regional appearances, winning four of the last six. Meanwhile, Appalachian State is making the program's fourth NCAA Championship appearance and first since going 0-2 in the Stillwater Regional in 1986. The Mountaineers are 2-6 in the tournament after qualifying in 1984 and 1974.

OU is also familiar with this weekend's surroundings, having won two out of three games in the 2010 Charlottesville Super Regional over then-No. 1 Virginia.

2. Ride the Power Arms
It's no secret that the pitching staff has been the strength and most consistent weapon in the Sooners' arsenal this season, especially down the stretch. Look for the power arms of Jordan John, who gets the start today, and company to continue the late-season run. John has lasted at least seven innings in all but one start this year and Steven Okert, who is 2-1 with two saves in his last five outings, is waiting in the bullpen.

No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Appalachian State in NCAA Regional | Saturday, June 2 at 5 p.m. CT
Game Preview | Radio: KREF 1400 AM | Sooner NCAA Central

3. Finding Ways to Win
At 38-22, the Sooners have won 20 of the last 28 games and have done so with a couple of different heroes down the stretch. In game one of the Big 12 Championship, Garrett Carey hit his first home run of the season to propel OU to a 1-0 walk-off win over rival Oklahoma State. Two days later, Matt Oberste belted two bombs as the Sooners sent the then-No. 3 Baylor Bears packing. While Max White has led the offense throughout the season, look for other veterans like Caleb Bushyhead and Cody Reine to showcase their postseason experience this weekend.

4. Follow the Action
Today's game will be heard on the Sooner Sports Network (KREF 1400 AM) with Toby Rowland and Ross Hubbard on the call. Live audio can also be found on SoonerSports.com. There is no television or live webcasts provided this weekend, but fans can follow live stats on SoonerSports.com or updates on Twitter (@OU_Baseball).

5. The Weather in Charlottesville
Inclement weather forecasted in Virginia has already changed the schedule once, moving OU's 7 p.m. game up to 1 p.m. today. The forecast is calling for a 70 percent chance of rain, so keep an eye on SoonerSports.com for updates along with the official twitter feeds (@SoonerSportscom and @OU_Baseball).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Five Things to Watch: Sooners vs. Mountaineers

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